Husky kennels as animal welfare activists: Pursuing institutional change towards responsible tourism

There is a flourishing literature on corporate activism exploring the role of companies and CEOs in influencing institutional and social change through political action. Most of these studies have focused on large companies and on public debates relating to social and environmental issues. As a result, a number of significant questions still remain unaddressed. For example, little attention has been given to corporate activism in relation to small companies and political action to influence the institutional environment to improve animal welfare conditions. To address this knowledge gap, I examine the efforts of a group of husky kennels in promoting higher animal welfare standards in a Nordic destination. By focusing on how husky kennels engage in corporate activism, I offer insights into the mechanism and barriers of political action. In addition, I unfold the role of sled dogs as activists themselves. Dog sledding is not only the most popular tourism activity in Lapland, but it also involves a wide range of ethical issues pertaining to animal welfare of the working dogs. The empirical data is based on a four-year ethnographic study conducted with husky kennels and other animal-based tourism companies in northern Finland.